It all amounts to six-cylinder performance with four-cylinder efficiency, says Land Rover. The key is a 48-volt integrated starter-generator that harvests power on the overrun, stores it in lithium-ion batteries and then deploys it via an electric “supercharger” when you put your foot down. As well as a seamless boost to power and torque, Land Rover says it makes the stop-start system slicker as well as impressing for typical straight-six engine refinement.
But, some might say, it’s a diesel. Aren’t diesels out of favour? Discoverys and diesels have always been the ideal fit and this new Ingenium mild hybrid diesel promises to strengthen that. Apart from their efficiency advantage, the new D250 and D300 units are RDE2-certified and Euro 6d-Final compliant – gobbledegook for engines that can meet the toughest air quality regs anywhere in the world.
The same mild hybrid tech is used in the new petrol range-topper, the Discovery P360. The new engine is a 3.0-litre straight-six with 360PS (265kW) and 500Nm of torque from 1,750rpm. With 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds it is the fastest of the new breed.
The only other petrol Disco – and now cheapest model in the whole line-up – is the P300 featuring the only carried-over engine in the updated range, and the only one not to be electrified. As before this is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 300PS (221kW) and 400Nm of torque. 0-62mph takes 7.3 seconds.